In preparation for this article, I recently flipped through a few teen magazines, and found some pretty vulgar things. Titles such as “How to hook the hottest guy in the room,” “The Pill,” and “Using Protection” fill the covers of these magazines. Inside the magazines are even worse! Girls are encouraged to take condoms with them on dates if they think intercourse might take place; almost every picture shows fashion as something that reveals most of our body; and gossip about celebrities is running rampant.

Some of you are probably nodding your heads in agreement, and others are probably shrugging your shoulders and thinking, “Who cares? It’s not that big a deal.” The thing is, it is a big deal! If you don’t think that looking at things like this affects you, stop and read The Heart of the Matter before finishing this article.

Now that we’ve read the article, and are considering the fact that maybe small things actually are “that bad,” what can we do about it? We love the fashion articles, the beauty tips, dating information, and advice columns, right? How can we give that up? The good news is that we don’t have to! We can continue to read the articles we like, but in a different way.

How to do it

Find good magazines! Pierce My Heart is expanding and changing to include the things we like in normal magazines, but from a godly perspective. There are other decent, godly magazines out there too (if you’ve found one, leave a comment about it below this article).

Lose the bad. This is the hard part. You have to make a conscious decision to rid your life of any and all trashy magazines, then follow through on that decision, so that you will only be filling your heart and mind with worthy thoughts, as we’re encouraged to do in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” In order to fully do this, we must get rid of fashion magazines that tell us to dress in revealing ways, magazines that gossip about celebrities, and magazines that encourage us to be sexually active with people we’re not married to. I don’t need to name the names – you know which magazines I’m talking about. If you’ve subscribed, un-subscribe, even if you lose money. If your mom buys them for you when she goes to the store, talk to her about it, and ask her to support you in your quest to become a purer person this year. If you’re going to a friend’s house that has inappropriate magazines you like to read, take other reading material instead, whether it’s a book, another magazine, or articles from this magazine that you print off.

Notice the difference. When you haven’t been reading those magazines for about a month, you’ll start to notice that you have a better self image (you’re no longer seeing airbrushed models), a purer mind (you’re no longer being encouraged to engage in sinful behaviors), and a cleaner heart.

Be renewed

Ask God to renew your heart this year, so that you will desire to be pure, inside and out. Make sure the choices you make with magazines affect your desire to be pure; rejoice in that pureness; and meditate on this verse: “The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing in the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psalm 19:8).

Davonne Parks

First, let me ask you a question. Why are your friends not supportive of your boyfriend? It sounds like he is a great guy, with good character. If the reason your friends are not supportive of him is because he is not “cool” or “popular” then your friends are not being constructive; rather, they’re being destructive to your spiritual character, and you should seek other influences. I’m not saying to lose your friends; just seek the advice from other godly people. It is important to remember that you should be dating someone in order for that to lead to marriage. Don’t spend your time dating “cool” guys just for the sake of dating “cool” guys. You should be seeking a relationship with someone who is a godly man.

Here is something to consider: If the only reason your friends don’t think you should date this guy is because he’s not cool enough, then no, don’t allow their words to influence how you feel about him, and beware of potential jealousy tainting others’ words. On the other hand, if your friends have other, legitimate concerns about his character, and sincerely have your best interest at heart, then think about what they say, because often when we’re in a relationship, it’s hard for us to see what is obvious to someone who’s not emotionally attached.

It’s important to know who is building you up and who is tearing you down, spiritually. You need to be discerning and honest with yourself. Does your boyfriend build you up and encourage you in your walk with God, or does he tear you down? Do your friends build you up and support you in making godly choices, or do they discourage you when your choices lean toward biblical principles? If your friends are gossiping about your boyfriend and saying things you know they shouldn’t, then they’re probably tearing you down, as well as him.

Remember, Jesus was not a popular guy (Matthew 10:22), and many people gossiped about Him and spread rumors. He did not allow others’ opinions of Him or His beliefs hinder Him from what He was doing or change what He believed. Godly character can change the world. As important as popularity and fitting in may seem in our world, it is not nearly as significant or eternal as having godly character.

Adam Grimenstein

This year, Pierce My Heart is including a link to the Bible reading plan for the year so that you can glance ahead more easily than before. We’ll start with two very relevant topics for this time of year––the newness of Creation and life of man in Genesis, and the introduction of a new way to salvation beginning with the birth of Jesus Christ in Matthew.

Like most resolutions, made any time of year, you may have a difficult time reading your Bible daily. While I want to encourage you to find a time and place that works best for your schedule, and to stick with it, I also do not want you to be discouraged when you miss a day or two––or five. Read to catch up, or just start up on whichever day it is. As with many resolutions, there is no harm in re-resolving if and when you fall out of habit.

This year, while we struggle to stay on top of the many resolutions we may make, let’s resolve to keep one in the forefront of our hearts and minds––spending time daily with God.

The Plan

This year’s Bible reading plan was borrowed from Bible-Reading.com. To correspond with the 2009 year, we have included actual dates for your referral. You can print the list below to keep in your Bible, or you may choose to use the above site, so that you can read from your favorite Bible version online.

JAN 1
JAN 2
JAN 3
JAN 4 Rom 1-2
JAN 5 Gen 1-3
JAN 6 Josh 1-5
JAN 7 Ps 1-2
JAN 8 Job 1-2
JAN 9 Isa 1-6
JAN 10 Matt 1-2
JAN 11 Rom 3-4
JAN 12 Gen 4-7
JAN 13 Josh 6-10
JAN 14 Ps 3-5
JAN 15 Job 3-4
JAN 16 Isa 7-11
JAN 17 Matt 3-4
JAN 18 Rom 5-6
JAN 19 Gen 8-11
JAN 20 Josh 11-15
JAN 21 Ps 6-8
JAN 22 Job 5-6
JAN 23 Isa 12-17
JAN 24 Matt 5-7
JAN 25 Rom 7-8
JAN 26 Gen 12-15
JAN 27 Josh 16-20
JAN 28 Ps 9-11
JAN 29 Job 7-8
JAN 30 Isa 18-22
JAN 31 Matt 8-10

By Lisa Grimenstein

Break it down

I just love that! Those verses were written from David to God. David had such a close and personal relationship with God, and that is evident in these verses. Let’s break it down a little bit:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God.” In the Old Testament, there were many rituals to prove loyalty to God, but David understood that a relationship with God is much deeper than just our actions – a true relationship involves a pure, clean heart.

“And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Renew means to restore, or make new. Steadfast means unwavering, or firm. David is asking God to restore an unwavering and firm spirit within him. Wow! Have you ever asked God to do that for you?

“Do not cast me away from your presence.” Do you love God so much that you never want to be away from His presence? What an awesome love!

“And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” The topic of the Holy Spirit is one that I’m just beginning to study. I don’t have much knowledge on the topic yet, so I will just guide you to 2 Timothy 1:14: “…through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” David wanted the Holy Spirit to continue to dwell in Him. There’s a thought to ponder!

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” Are you joyful about the salvation we’re offered? That’s something we can rejoice in every day! This is much deeper and better than temporary happiness. We can take joy in all situations, no matter what the circumstances, just as Paul described in Philippians 4:11. It is so cool that God offers His love and joy all the time!

“And sustain me with a willing spirit.” Sustain means support, and willing means cheerful. David is asking God to support him with a cheerful spirit. Do we ever ask God to do that for us? If not, we need to!

Right now

Let’s meditate on Psalm 51:10-12 for a few minutes, as a whole: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.”

As we make our resolutions and choose which areas of self improvement we want to focus on this year, let’s make sure that having a renewed and steadfast spirit is the top priority on our list.

Take the time, right now, to pray, and to study His word. You’ll be amazed at the difference it will make in your life!

Davonne Parks

Gather your materials

1) Hemp twine. If you are only making one or two bracelets, you can buy a small coil of hemp at JoAnn Fabrics or Walmart for about two dollars. If you are making more than two, you should buy a roll of hemp (at JoAnn Fabrics or Walmart for about seven dollars). Hemp is available in many different colors at almost any craft supply store.

2) Scissors. Make sure they are sharp enough to cut through hemp. Fiskars is a good, durable brand of scissors that will serve well for future crafts.

3) Safety pin. The safety pin is used to hold the hemp in place. A three-ring binder can also be used for this purpose.

4) Beads. Make sure that two strands of hemp can fit through the bead. You can also buy special clay to make your own beads.

Prepare materials

1) Cut two pieces of hemp. The first piece should be about six times the length of your wrist. My wrist is six inches around, so I must cut a thirty-six-inch piece. The second piece should be double the length of the first (in my case, 72 inches).

2) Make your loop. Do this by folding both pieces of hemp in half to make a crease, then tie the creased ends together to make a loop that is about a half-inch long.

3) Attach the safety pin to the loop and then to something sturdy, such as a chair, a pillow, or the knee of durable jeans you’re wearing. The shorter ends of the hemp should be in the middle.

4) Mark the end of the right strand with a marker or a piece of tape. The marked side is the first to be used for each knot.

Making the bracelet

1) Knot the hemp. Start with the strand that you marked. Bring the marked strand across the two middle strands. Then bring the marked strand under the left strand, forming a half circle on the right side. Next, bring the far left strand under the middle two strands and up through the half circle on the right. After that, pull the left and right strands tightly and that should form a square knot. Repeat the square knots until your bracelet is at the desired length.

2) Add beads. When you get to a point where you want to add beads, slide your beads up the two middle strands. You will then resume the square knot tying.

3) Tie the end of the bracelet. Tie four strands together in one knot. Make sure the final knot will fit through the beginning loop.

The next time you find yourself wanting to make a hemp bracelet, you will have the skills and ability to do so!

Future note

Please submit photos of your snow creations (snow angels, snow people, snow forts, etc) by January 15 for use in our February article.

By Chloe Parks

Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays are coming to an end, we can sit back and really enjoy the calmness of the winter season. We can take time to meditate on the above verse and allow our hearts to be renewed.

Pierce My Heart has decided to do the same thing, in many ways! Some of our staff has changed columns they’ve been writing for, we’ve decided to take out a few columns, we’ve added a couple new ones, and we’ve changed the directions of some columns we already have.

Deleted columns

A few of our columns have been taken out to allow room for newness this year – but don’t worry! You can still read all of the old articles by clicking on the monthly issues and choosing the month you want to read.

New columns

Have you ever wondered what the Bible says about topics such as abortion and homosexuality? If you have, then In the World is the column for you. Topics like these will be covered from a scriptural perspective so you can take this information and be informed when discussing these issues in class or with friends.

Many of us love fashion, but we also like make-up and hair, right? Fashion and Beauty is breaking off into two separate columns to give us more of what we like! Style Sense is going to cover head-to-toe fashions, and will include don’t’s as well as the do’s. Our beauty column will discuss hair, skin, and nails. Fun, fun!

We all like behind-the-scenes looks into people’s real lives, right? Just for Today is a new blog about my life outside the magazine. Come, take a look, and I think you just might find that we’re more alike than you realized.

As a thank-you to our readers, we are going to begin hosting a give-away each month. This month we will be giving away a few beauty products, so check our beauty article this month for details.

New direction

Do you have a friend you’d love to discuss the Bible with, but don’t know where to start? Spread the Word is going to tell you how! Topics such as baptism and the Lord’s Supper will be presented here, in ways that will make it easier for you to speak with friends about biblical topics.

I don’t know about you, but I love to soak up the wisdom of women older than me. Words of Wisdom is still going to be here this year, but with a new name, Heart to Heart (taken from the name of an old column). Those women will have heart-to-heart talks with us each month, and we want the name to reflect that.

Gifted Girls is growing, too. We’re having themes of photos you can send in every month to be posted on the magazine, from cards to hemp jewelry, and more! Check here each month to find new ideas from young women that you can try at home yourself.

Friends is also taking a new and exciting direction! Last year had great articles that covered the foundation of friendship, and this year we’re going to focus more on having fun with friends, from anti-Superbowl parties to group Valentine’s Day get-togethers, and more.

We have several other columns that are headed in the same direction as before, but with newer, more interesting names, so stay tuned!

Same old

The rest of the Pierce My Heart columns are continuing to grow, but are headed in similar directions as before. We like that, because we don’t change just to change – we improve what needs improved, and keep the rest!

You can subscribe to the magazine, on the right-hand side of the page, to receive your favorite articles in your inbox the day they’re posted! Don’t forget about the Facebook Fan Club. You can join, and invite all of your Facebook friends to join too!

Our January desktop image is up, and our old ones are still there, so check out our Media Page and choose your favorite image to save as your desktop this month!

Schedule

So you can have an immediate reference of when new articles are posted (or to check out our new columns), I’m including a list so you know when to visit the site for your favorite columns! On days when normal articles won’t appear, blog posts will, so be sure to check back on our all-new “what’s new” page often.

Jan 1: In this Issue
Jan 2: Gifted Girls
Jan 3: Devotional
Jan 4: Daily Bible Reading
Jan 5: Ask A Guy
Jan 6: Media Matters
Jan 7: Tough Stuff
Jan 9: Style Sense
Jan 10: Dating
Jan 11: Friends
Jan 13: Cooking Corner
Jan 14: Generation Gap
Jan 15: In the World
Jan 17: Beauty
Jan 19: Heart to Heart
Jan 21: Desktop Delight
Jan 23: A Girl Like You
Jan 25: Helping Hands
Jan 27: Spread the Word
Jan 29: Health and Fitness
Jan 31:Beauty contest winner announced!

Your renewal

Put on your favorite cozy outfit, make yourself a hot drink, sit back, and enjoy these articles, as you allow your heart to be pierced anew this winter.

Renewed in Him,

Davonne Parks

One of the amazing things about the Bible is its scientific accuracy and foreknowledge. The Bible is not a science textbook (that is not its purpose), but what it says concerning scientific matters is accurate – not only accurate, but far ahead of its time.

The Bible speaks of things that were unknown and undiscovered by man at the time the Bible was written.  When we consider some of the things written in the Bible that man did not know through his own discovery until hundreds or even thousands of years had passed, we draw the conclusion that mere man did not – could not! – write the Bible of his own knowledge.  This kind of foreknowledge demands an intelligence and wisdom that is higher and greater than man.

The Bible has never been proven wrong regarding scientific, archeological, or historical matters.  In fact, some “experts” in these fields have over the years questioned the accuracy of the Bible, only to discover, ultimately, that the Bible was true and correct after all.  Of course, that is no surprise to the Bible believer, and merely confirms the truthfulness of the Bible.  We don’t need science, archeology, or history to verify our faith in the Bible; but it is nice to know none of these fields can undermine that faith!

Consider some examples of the scientific foreknowledge of Scripture:

1. JOB 26:7: This verse speaks of “the north over the empty place,” an obvious reference to the intergalactic space stretching over and above the north pole (not seen by anyone’s naked eye when Job, the oldest book in the Bible, was written), and God having done this: “hangeth the earth on nothing.” Of course we know today that the earth is not sitting on some giant platform, nor suspended by gigantic cables or wires, as some ancients supposed; we know the earth floats freely upon nothing. But nobody living when the book of Job was written knew that.
2. JOB 38:16: This verse speaks of “springs of the sea” and the “search [recesses; trenches] of the depth.” But not until the 19th and into the 20th centuries did man, through natural means, learn about these great springs of fresh water flowing into the seas, and the great trenches, some many miles long, on the ocean floor. For centuries man supposed the ocean to be shallow and flat. Not so.
3. PSALM 8:8 speaks of the “paths of the sea.” Matthew Maury, seaman and scientist, in the mid-19th century discovered these sea paths, and in fact cited this passage in the book of Psalms as his motivation for even searching for such! His work earned him the title “pathfinder of the seas.” He was an extraordinary scientist, and firm Bible believer.
4. ISAIAH 40:22 speaks of God as the One “that sitteth upon the circle of the earth.” Of course we know today that the earth is spherical. But in the days of Isaiah, a book written some six hundred years before Christ, nobody knew that; man did not “discover” that the earth was round until relatively modern times; man, through his own supposition, imagined the earth to be flat with a literal “falling off” place. Such notions today seem ridiculous; but the earth being a circle must have sounded ridiculous when Isaiah was written!
5. ECCLESIASTES 1:6 tells us about cycles of the wind, which modern meteorology confirms, and today we hear daily about “jet streams.”
6. NUMBERS 19:7–22: God gave some very specific instructions to the ancient Israelites concerning purifying, cleanness, and uncleanness that, from a human perspective, made no sense at all in their day. But in our day, we understand the reasons for these instructions, having learned through scientific investigation and discovery: God was protecting His people from the spread of infectious disease by defilement. We admonish our children to wash their hands; yet a little more than a hundred years ago, doctors would perform surgeries without gloves, without sterilized instruments, and without hand washing, literally moving from one patient to another with bloodied hands and tools, and often more patients died from infection than from wounds. Yet, here is the Bible giving some simple instructions that protected ancient Israelites without their even being aware of it. Today, we know of bacteria and germs and disease, and things to do to prevent their spread, like washing and antiseptics. Yet no scientist or physician in Moses’ day, when these instructions were given, knew these things. Why the explicit warnings, then? Because the instructions were given by a wisdom and intelligence higher and greater than man.
7. LEVITICUS 13:45–46: Here the Bible gives instruction that would prevent the spread of leprosy, an incredibly contagious, dangerous, and ultimately fatal disease in Biblical times that could become epidemic when Biblical instructions were not followed. But as in the above point, no one in the time the Bible was written knew the reasons for disease spreading or why epidemic plagues came. Yet the Bible warns about it. Just a good guess, or a superior intelligence giving the instruction? There have been many ages in the history of mankind, often centuries after the Bible was written, when disastrous plagues claiming thousands of lives could have been avoided had people but followed Biblical injunctions.
8. LEVITICUS 17:11 tells us “the life of the flesh is in the blood.” We know that today. But in earlier days, the practice of “blood letting” for those who were sick was a common practice, and often, unfortunately, resulted in the death of the patient. One ill was thought to have “bad humours,” and “bleeding” a patient was thought to be of help; we know now that it often hastened death, instead. Modern physicians speculate that our first president, George Washington, probably died as a result of “bleeding” by his physicians, and most likely would have recovered if not for the “medical treatment” he received.
9. ACTS 17:26 speaks of God having “made of one blood all nations of men for the dwell on all the face of the earth.” We know today that race and skin color have nothing to do with blood type, and, in fact, compatible blood types are interchangeable among and between different races of man. Nobody knew that when Acts was written, except the Author of the book who had access to knowledge greater than what mere man had discovered.

These and other examples we could cite demonstrate that from a naturalistic standpoint, there is no way the Bible could have been written by a mere man, for the Bible foretells things about which man did not know for thousands of years after they were recorded. The Bible demands an intelligence and wisdom that is far superior to man’s naturalistic learning. Though the Bible doesn’t profess to be a textbook on biology, anatomy, physical chemistry, or other natural or medical sciences, what the Bible says concerning these matters is overwhelmingly advanced.

Never worry about the Bible being outdated, outmoded, or antiquated; man has demonstrated that he has had a difficult time keeping up with this Book which far surpasses and exceeds human wisdom and knowledge!

Remember: the Bible is always right!

By John M. Brown

Everyone has a tendency to be shy in certain situations.  Some people handle this very well by overcoming shyness through assuring their confidence and boldness even when they don’t want to. Other people struggle with being shy, sometimes because of a lack of confidence, boldness, or determination. For myself, I have always struggled with shyness around larger crowds of people. When I’m in these situations, I have to remind myself that everyone perceives, or views, me according to the way I act and handle myself. I also have to remember that confidence ultimately should come from God and not of myself! Paul told the Corinthians “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God” (2 Cor. 3:4–5).

If you want to befriend someone who is intimidating to you, then have confidence in the way you present yourself, and this will be the way they will likely view you. Gaining confidence when you are shy is a very hard thing to do. Always remember that some of the flaws you think you have and see in yourself, other people don’t see. By working on overcoming your shyness, you learn to worry less about what other people think about you, which can cause you to be more outgoing and friendly and can hopefully lead others to Christ. When you start to focus less on how you think other people view you, and more on being a friendly, godly example to others, people will notice that (especially if they have the godly qualities you should be looking for in a friend).

God wants us to be confident. We should be confident in who we are and who God has made us to be. Paul urges us to not have confidence in our flesh—which is sinful and corrupt—but to place our confidence in God. Paul states this to the Phillipians: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).

I believe dating is preparation for marriage. You may already be praying for your future spouse. Therefore, God will provide the right guy for you, so be patient and do not worry. Try not to be flirtatious or give the guy the wrong messages. Instead, try allowing him to take the initiative. If he asks you out, then tell him you would like to go out together with several people and just hang out and enjoy the time together as friends. If he never asks you out or he doesn’t like the idea of not dating, then you’ve saved yourself the heartbreak of a relationship that was not meant to be, and you will have kept yourself pure in the process while waiting for the person who God wants you to be with.

Remember, God already knows who will make a good spouse for you and you may not even know him yet, so pray for him and trust God will bring you together with the right guy at the right time.

- Adam Grimenstein

My favorite tradition is what my parents, siblings, and I do on Christmas Eve. We always stay at home and eat finger foods. We either play games or watch movies, or sometimes even both. We eat cheese and crackers, trail bologna, pretzels, chips–pretty much any finger food you can imagine. My mom usually gets sparkling grape juice for us to drink. Even though Christmas Eve is my parent’s anniversary, they always spend it with their kids. They have their anniversary dinner the night before and have fun with their kids on their anniversary. They give their time to us.

My second favorite tradition is that we always have French toast or pancakes on Christmas morning. We have orange juice, cranberry juice, and grape juice. My dad always makes it and my sister usually helps. It’s always delicious. After we eat, we clean up, and then go and open our presents.

I am very grateful that my family gives time to spend with each other. We all have such busy lives that we don’t get to be together as a family all that often. I am very thankful that we can spend Christmas and Christmas Eve together. I am looking forward to Christmas this year. I hope that everyone has a good Christmas and has fun with their families and friends. Take the time this year to reflect on and appreciate the special traditions you have with your family.

By Lizzy Morgan

A. Bible reading and Bible studying are very similar terms. Some people may use them interchangeably. However, there is a difference.

Bible reading involves reading a couple of chapters or more each day. When you read your Bible, you usually read to refresh your memory, to find comfort, or as an effort to think on good things, as we are commanded in Philippians 4:8. In contrast, during a Bible study, you may spend an hour on just a couple of verses. The goal during study is to gain comprehension, not merely to refresh your memory. If you feel that you don’t understand a certain subject, you may choose to study it.

Usually, when reading your Bible, you read several verses or chapters in order. When you study, you read verses that correspond to the subject that you are studying. For example, if studying baptism, you might read from Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, or I Peter 3:21, instead of reading entirely from the same book and chapter. Studying may also involve memorizing verses and understanding concepts so that you can answer any questions that might arise from your friends and others (2 Tim. 2:15; I Peter 3:15).

It’s important to read your Bible daily, but if you have more time or are having difficulty understanding something, you should try to study. Bible reading may turn into study if you come across something you don’t understand, which happened to the eunuch in Acts 8. If you aren’t sure how to study, you could choose a topic and read about it from an appropriate commentary and look up the verses given so that you can better understand the topic.

Also, most Bibles have study aids in the back, and there are concordances that will help you find verses on most any subject. If you can’t think of a subject to study, just start reading your Bible and if you read something you don’t understand, study it. It’s okay to just read your Bible as long as you also spend some time studying what you read.

- Rachel Conley